Dental Sealants Help Protect the Biting Surface of Your Child’s Back Teeth

Posted September 21, 2016.

By early to mid-adolescence most child have had their 20 primary teeth completely replaced by the 32 permanent teeth that will have to serve them for the rest of their lives. When this happens it’s not uncommon for the biting surfaces of the back teeth to have deep pits and fissures in the tooth enamel. These hard to clean areas can sometimes trap plaque and residual food particles, encouraging the formation of large cavities.

If Dr. Lori Hawkins sees a situation like this, during your child’s dental checkup, then she might recommend protecting the biting surfaces with dental sealants.

For all intents and purposes, dental sealants are a durable plastic-resin that Dr. Lori Hawkins carefully paints onto the biting surface of each molar and premolar. Then she will use a special ultraviolet light to cure and harden the resin.

This creates an impervious barrier between the bacteria in the natural tooth enamel and the biting surface of the tooth. Even if plaque and food particles get stuck in the pits and fissures it won’t be able to exploit the tooth enamel.

If you are concerned about the long term health and integrity of your child’s back teeth, you should call Dr. Lori Hawkins’s office in Belpre, Ohio at 740-423-8416 to ask about dental sealants.